Table of Content 1. Introduction 2. What is Ayurveda? 3. Brief history 4. Definition of Ayurvedic science-science of life 5. Health Through Ayurveda 6. Basic tenements 7. Impact of season on Dosha
Introduction Hello Readers, This ebook (download link) will give you a peek into the world of Ayurveda; what it takes to stay healthy and what creates imbalance; what has good health to do with sustaining mindbody connection...and more... download now, read at leisure. If you need in-depth information about anything specific, feel free to write to us...
What is Ayurveda? Ayurveda is an ancient Indian holistic healing system of medicines which believes that everything (living or non-living) in the universe exists in concurrence; everything is connected; and good health can be attained when all three, mind, body, and spirit attain sync with the universe. One disruption and sickness or illness shows on your body. The disturbances could be genetic, like birth defects, physical Injuries, climate and seasonal changes, age, emotions etc. Ayurveda focuses on good health, rather than fighting disease. If you understand the technique that harmonizes mind, body, and spirit with the Universe, you can prevent any illnesses, treat the most acute condition, and lead a long and healthy life. Ayurveda has two aims, to maintain health for the healthy and heal those who re sick. Meaning of the word Ayurveda: Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word; its origin is combination of two words, "Ayuh" which means life & Veda" means knowledge. Ayurveda "Science of Life" or "wisdom of life" deals with nature and includes all aspects of life.
Brief history History of Ayurvedic medicine goes 5000 years back. It started as an oral tradition of sharing knowledge of life. In the quest for knowledge, seers of ancient India attained the knowledge through their spiritual practices; by observing & analyzing day to day routines of people at a higher conscious level through advanced meditative practices, the seers revealed the deepest truths about human anatomy, physiology, psychology, health, diseases and finding holistic solutions for them. Mention of Ayurveda is found in the sacred texts, viz. the Rig Veda (3000-2500 BCE), Yajur Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda (1200-1000 BCE). Roots of both - the Tibetan medicine & Traditional Chinese Medicine are in Ayurveda. Initially even Greek medicine based its treatments on Ayurvedic concepts as described in the ancient ayurvedic texts. Theory of Ayurveda suggests that all areas of life be it physical health, astrology, spirituality, government and politics, art, human behaviour...impact one's health. In the Ayurveda medicines books pertaining to eighth century BCE, there aren t just procedural instructions to solve various health conditions but also history of how these treatments & medicines evolved over a period of time. The knowledge of Ayurveda popular today is based on the texts called Brhattrayi, comprising the Charak Samhita, Sushurta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridaya..
Definition of Ayurvedic science-science of life Ayurveda goes beyond treating health conditions; or keeping the body fit. It s a science of life. Ayur means life & Veda means science or knowledge. The ancient Ayurvedic texts, packed with wisdom show us ways to realize our full potential. It suggests model day-to-day & seasonal routines that we should follow in terms of diet, behaviour, yoga in order to attain good health by balancing our body, mind, and spirit vis-àvis the environment. According to Ayurveda, the 3 primary energies governing our inner & outer environments, viz. movement, transformation, and structure, are Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth); which give a distinct characteristic to our mind and body. Every human being has unique proportions of Vata, Pitta, & Kapha in them, decided at the time of conception, which shapes their temperament and nature. Ayurveda through its scientifically established techniques identifies a person s prakriti, doshas or reasons of imbalance; offers solutions in the form of diet, medicines combination of herbs, aromatherapy, massage, music, and meditation etc to help us restore the balance attain good health.
Health Through Ayurveda Ayurveda is a holistic science; meaning it considers mind and body as single unit. This means that while examining physical body, Ayurveda studies and addresses mental causes too. Thus sometimes patients are advised to bring changes in lifestyle, prescribed herbs, massages, yoga etc in order to restore the normal physical and emotional balance. According to Ayurveda, nature is made of five elements, viz. space, air, fire, water, and earth. They are present in every living being in different proportions in the form of three components known as Doshas. The three Doshas are Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha. They are directly related to the basic elements of nature and specific functions of the body. To acquire optimal health, one strives to create balance of these Doshas. Vata comprises air & space; and controls muscle & joint movement, breathing& heartbeat. Anxiety, fear, pain, and other nervous system related functions. Pitta comprises fire & water; it controls digestion, metabolism, skin colour, intelligence, and negative emotions like anger and jealousy. Kapha comprises earth & water; controls body s structure & immune system. Emotional responses like calmness, forgiveness, love, and greed are driven by Kapha. Ayurveda believes that when any of the above doshas (vata, pitta, or kapha) suffer imbalance, be it for any reason, it reflects on the physical and emotional health of an individual and one falls sick. As mentioned in the beginning what Ayurveda does is that it studies constitution of a person, identifies Dosha imbalance in him/her and prescribes treatment to reinstate health via herbs, massage, yoga lifestyle changes etc. The first principle of Ayurveda is to focus on eliminating the cause of the disease, besides improving immunity against any new ailment. Hence it is said about Ayurveda is that disease is eradicated at its roots! In Ayurveda treatment focuses on the patient, not on the disease. Mind-body-soul is a tripod, and the universe sustains by their combination. Ayurveda can help fight many health conditions at physical and mental level. It reduces stress, increases stamina, flexibility, & strength. Yoga & meditation can also cure asthama, Hyper tension and arthritis. In Ayurveda following a proper diet routine is considered of utmost importance. It should be noted that Ayurveda medication can cause side effects, allergic reactions, or can also react with other medicines one is taking.. Some ayurvedic medicines may also contain high levels of heavy metals, so it s advised not to indulge in self medication as well as talk to your doctor when you are taking two parallel treatments for the same condition.
Basic tenements Panch Mahabhuta The Five Elements We practice yoga to strengthen our body & meditate for peace of mind. However, we seldom think of the elements our body is made of. According to Hindu Mythology the Universe is made of 5 basic elements and these 5 elements are called panchamahabhuta. The Hindu mythology & Ayurveda scriptures also believe that every matter in the universe including the human body is a direct replica of the Universe, made of panchabhutas, viz. Akash (Space or Vacuum), Vayu (air), Teja (fire), Jala (water), and Prithvi (earth). Everything is made of the same 5 elements, albeit in different proportions. It also believes that upon death these 5 elements of human body get dissolved in the respective element of nature, thereby balancing the cycle of nature. If we understand Panchabhuta well, it will help us to understand the outer universe as well as inner universe - our mind-body personality. Ayurveda says that inter- relationship of the Panchabhuta determines our natural constitution, health tendencies and other influences like our habits, hobbies, spiritual inclinations and so on. When Panchabhuta combine, they form bio-psychic forces known as Doshas. Earth (Bhumi): Earth is the first of the Panchabhuta elements; referring to the physical body comprising bones & muscles; perceived by five senses Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch and Sight. Water (Jala): The 2nd Panchabhuta element is water, known as Jala in Sanskrit. This refers to elements that can be seen, heard, felt, have a distinct taste, but can t be smelt. Blood and other fluid come under Water element of Panchabhuta. Fire (Agni): The next Panchabhuta element in human body is fire ; knowns as agni in Sanskrit. Jatharagni is that fire elment; and can be heard, felt and seen. It refers to the temperature of human body and comes under the fire element. Air (pavan): The fourth element of panchmahabhuta is air or known in Sanskrit as Pavan; it can be felt and heard, but not seen. The Oxygen & Carbon Di-Oxide in the body refers to the Air element. This element of the Panchabhuta is considered an important factor in Pranayama- Kriya in Yoga.
Sky (aakash): The fifth Panchmahabhuta element is space in Sanskrit known as Aakash. Space or Aakash is the medium of sound; inaccessible to all other senses. And in human body space refers to the Athma (Soul). Tri Dosha: The fundamental concept of Ayurvedic science is based on the theory that perfect health exists where perfect balance between three (Tri) fundamental bodily Doshas (also known as humours) viz. Vata, Pitta and Kapha is achieved. First Dosha, Vata refers to Air theory which suggests that Vaat activate various function of the nervous system. Pitta refers to the Fire theory which ensures that bile sets the process of digestion, thereby developing a good metabolism in support of venous system. Kapha, the 3rd Dosha refers to the Water theory, it s related to mucous, and helps in lubrication and carries nutrients to arterial system. According to Ayurveda, five elements, called the Panchabhutas (discussed earlier in this e- book) combine to form Doshas, the three forces. Dosha means "one that changes; it also means fault, a mistake, in reference to health as seen by Ayurveda, disturbance caused in the cosmic rhythm (which causes ailments and sickness). Doshas are imperative to life, considered amongst the governing principles since every living thing in the universe is characterized by the Dosha. Every individual or element that exists in the universe contains all three doshas. The proportion may vary from one person or thing to the other. It is seen that one or two doshas are predominant in everyone based on which his constitution and temperament is decided.
The Doshas interact with one another within the body and also outside in nature on a continuous basis. This is the reason we find common traits as well as a variety of differences in the way things and people behave and respond to their environment. Sapta-Dhatu (Seven Body Tissues): Dhatus are the basic tissue types that the human body is composed of. The most distinctive feature of Ayurvedic theory of tissue formation is that each tissue in the human body develops from the previous tissue, in the ascending order of complexity. (Dada/Amit/Gayatri, please re-phrase this sentence I have copied it as it is from elsewhere but can t put it in my own words...i think this makes for an important info) There are Dhatus and there are updhatus; together, they create the physical body. Dhatus we ve already seen above, the Upa-Dhatus comprise hair, nails, ligaments, etc. The latter are structurally important; however they aren t concerned with the health-conditions of our body. Rasa - Final Metabolic Juice and Plasma (Digestive System) Rakta Blood (Blood Circulatory System) Mamsa Muscles & Tendons (Muscular System) Med Fat Majja (Bone Marrow and nervous Tissues) Asthi Bone (Skeletal System) Shukra Semen Fluid (Reproductive System) Tri-mala: Tri Mala, also known as Aahar Mala are the three types of wastes that our body throws out; they keep our internal systems clean and healthy; these TriMalas are Purish (stools) Mutra (urine) & Sveda (Sweat). Purisha (stools or faeces) is composed of the element PRITHVI (earth). Mutra Mala or urine is AAPAH (water) & Agni (fire) element; Sveda Mala or sweat is composed of AAPAH (water) element. Sveda according to Ayurveda theory is also considered as the excrement of MEDA Dhatu. To maintain a healthy body, Ayurveda suggests that the DOSHA, DHATU and MALA harmony is preserved. Any disturbance can create an illness or disturbance in the body and prevent it from functioning normally. Agni: In Ayurveda, Agni plays a very important role in leading us to the path of happiness and healthy life. Ayurveda recognizes several Agnis. First is the digestive fire, called the Jatharagni. It is the foundation of a physically healthy body. According to Ayurveda, the secret of good health lies in keeping the digestive fires burning well. Healthy Jatharagni means, food is getting digested well; it s generating good energies to fight pathogens that
may attack our body; and the un-digested food is getting out of the body smoothly in the form of Mala. Besides, Jatharagni, there is life-fire or Pran-agni, which helps to heal at an energetic level. Ayurveda believes that if we learn to regulate our breath, if it is deep and full, calm and consistent, our vital force harmonizes the balance between systems in our body & mental faculties. Pran-agni has the power to drive all the healing energies of the universe towards us. The three doshas namely, the Vatta, the Pitta, & the Kapha are rooted & treated through fire. People in whom the Vata dosha is predominant have to focus on generating a consistent internal fire to balance Vata; People with Pitta Dosha (flaws) should protect themselves from excess Agni to create the right balance; and people with Kapha Dosha need a higher internal fire to burn weight as well as water that they tend to accumulate. By balancing our Agnis at physical & pranic levels, we connect to the deepest level of Agni, i.e. our soul - the ultimate of all flames that keeps all other biological fires burning. Agni thus, not only helps us to keep a good physical health but also awakens us to have and achieve a higher purpose in life. Since humans are creatures of fire, majority of our diseases are also born when something prevents our inner fires from burning fully; cold for example. At the same time, some diseases can also be a result of excess fire, like accumulating heat in the body, inflammation, bleeding etc. Sometimes some unhealthy fires get generated due to poor digestion or accumulated toxins. Under these situations, our fires have to be taken through the process of purification in order to be regulated and restored to their original healthy state. Ayurveda introduces us to the healing potential of Agnis, through which we can overcome our diseases. Tri-Guna: Just like Tri Doshas, tri-gunas are also considered essential components in a human body. The Tri-gunas are Satwa, Rajas and Tamas; essential forces of mind & its energies. Individuals with pre-dominant Satvik Guna are generally seen to have an element of Kapha Dosha in their constitution. Individuals in whom Rajas Guna is predominant have Pitta as pre-dominant dosha; and similarly dominant Vata people have Tamasika tendency. Ayurveda categorizes people on the basis of their psychology & constitution. It believes that we are all born with all three Gunas, but one of them is predominant, (much like tri-doshas).
Balance of the three gunas keep the mind sane and ensures well being of physical body. Any disturbance in this tri guna equilibrium results in various types of mental disorders. Indriya: Indriyas are considered the third important components of human body that carry information from the outside world to the inside. Ayurveda recognizes two types of Indriya; Karmendriya & Jnana Indriya. The five Jnanendriya senses are hear, feel, see, taste and smell. Likewise, the five Karmendriya are speak, grasp, move, procreate and eliminate. If karmendriya and jnana indriya are not in sync, our mind and soul would be disconnected from the external body. Indriyas thus initiate the process of internalization. Karmendriya (organs of action) with help of Jnana-indriya (organs of knowledge) open the doors to the internal physiology. In other words Indriyas bridge the gap between mind and body - with soul & mind on one side, and physical body and environment on the other. The Jnana indriya comprising ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose recognizes the world by hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting and smelling. The karma indriya, i.e. organs of action comprise vocal cords, hands, feet, genitals and anus that take various actions or perform various functions through speaking, grasping, walking, procreating and removing the waste or unwanted and so on. The Jnana indriya comprising ears, skin, eyes, tongue and nose recognizes the world by hearing, feeling, seeing, tasting and smelling. The karma indriya, i.e. organs of action comprise vocal cords, hands, feet, genitals and anus that take various actions or perform various functions through speaking, grasping, walking, procreating and removing the waste or unwanted and so on. Mann & Kaal- annual, monthly and daily effect on Dosha Couldn t find material
Impact of season on Dosha Ayurveda believes that each Dosha is ruled by specific elements, and that in specific season its characteristics come to the fore. Ayurveda can help us to lead a healthy life; it helps us to understand how should we eat and exercise including incorporating yoga in our daily routine in order to attain a perfect Dosha balance while there is a shift in season. Based on the principals of Ayurveda, seasons can be handled well provided we handle the shift of seasons well, it being the most critical junction. Starting from the concluding week of ongoing season and 1st week of upcoming season, the period is called ritusandhi ; during which we become more prone to illness and diseases. Ayurveda recommends this as a good period to re-align our diet and yoga practice to create better support and harmony for our overall well being. Transitioning from summer to autumn marks end of pitta and the beginning of vata. Winter to spring is the kapha time of year. Moving into summer aggravates Pitta s fire. And to deal with each season and the respective transition time... yoga suggests some changes in the diet and other lifestyle routines.
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